Servant Song

Lord God, as we gaze upwards to praise Your majesty,
You show us the meaning of your Passion by your compassion!

You shock us, as we recognise you kneeling quietly washing our grubby feet;

A spade not a sceptre
A towel not a title

Jesus, our Servant King,
Fill us with Your Holy Spirit,
Hidden hope of heaven, free us for true service!
Help us curb our social climbing
Our safe smug courting of others’ good opinions
Lower our pride to humility to be spent on others.

You plunge the precious old pecking order
Into the mirror
And show us our true place in You

Teach us to serve not wincing or preening
Patronising or puppeteering
Not the big shot but the spent for sheer love.

Not to score high on the spiritual leader board
Or to pose on that right rung of the ladder;
You model the unseen gift, the right hand’s supportive silent touch the left hand needs never see;
No pat on the head or self satisfaction.

Lord, when we have our way of it, we know:
We’ve had our reward – it’s the glow in our heart,
It’s the honourable mention
It’s the claps from the crowd,
The “see all I’ve done for you”;
Applause, adulation, attention, bravo!
Recognise me! Without me, where would you be?
Make us hungry only for Your way and Your will,
Not seeking to fulfil our need to feel righteous and essential,
But a thirst to serve for God’s sake

Not servers, meting out services for Brownie points
But choosing to be a servant, not totting up ticks!

Available. Vulnerable.
Not too wise to be a doormat
Mistrustful of muddy footprints in our good nature;
No one is good but you, Jesus our Lord!

Choosing to cherish the voiceless invisibles,
The chains of forced slavery are cut off our wrists
By the sword of Your Spirit;

Help us, gracious Lord,
To ditch the to-do list of point-scoring charity
Kneel to all neediness
Not hating hiddenness, hoping for honour

Dorcas’s love through the little things, the widow’s artless mite,
No trumpets or headlines
No pity in the petty
If that’s where You’re calling us

The sugar of earthly praise and pay-off is addictive and destroying,
The Servant goes unnoticed, true salt of the earth

Enliven us, Serving Spirit from our own subtle sloth
Make us more discerning, steady, obedient
To the rhythms of Your Kingdom
The harmony born of hearing You

Improve our serve, Lord,
Simplify our service!

Plant in us, humble Master,
The grace shared by giving and the grace to receive!

Lord Jesus, as it would please you, bring me someone today who I can serve!